SAG-AFTRA has announced two new measures to help combat sexual harassment and misconduct. A press release reports the union has introduced the first industrywide accreditation for intimacy coordinator training and registry and Safe Place, a platform that allows members to report instances of harassment.
Intimacy coordinators are professionals who help performers, directors, producers, and crew members navigate nudity and sex scenes — they make sure everyone feels safe and protected in situations that have a long history of being awkward and exploitative.
Expanding upon SAG-AFTRA’s Standards and Protocols for the Use of Intimacy Coordinators, the new intimacy coordinator training accreditation and registry programs “will help safely expand the number of experienced professionals to serve in this role nationwide by providing ‘gold standard’ criteria for employers to identify qualified and experienced candidates to serve in this role,” per the source. “In addition to the process for review and vetting of candidates for the role of intimacy coordinator, the accreditation system will establish a standard to help potential registrants identify high-quality training programs. It also includes a commitment to ensuring equity and inclusion for all applicants. Additionally, SAG-AFTRA will sponsor an intimacy coordinator conference annually for registry and pre-registry participants to meet a continuing education requirement.”
Submissions for accreditation will be open May 1-July 31. Applications for the registry and pre-registry lists will be accepted August 1-October 31.
Available through the SAG-AFTRA member mobile app and at sagaftrasafeplace.org, Safe Place allows “anyone who works under a SAG-AFTRA contract, or third-party bystanders, to safely, securely, and discreetly report an incident of sexual harassment that they personally experienced or witnessed.” Users have the option to report under their own name or anonymously.
Once a report has been made, the case will be overseen by SAG-AFTRA’s Equity & Inclusion team, who will work with the user to decide on next steps.
Since the rise of #MeToo, SAG-AFTRA has introduced several new protocols with the aim of making workplaces safer in show business. The union unveiled the Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment nearly two years ago, which features the “Four Pillars of Change,” guidelines on how SAG-AFTRA will fight the culture of harassment. SAG has also banned auditions in hotel rooms and residences, locations associated with many incidents of sexual harassment and assault, particularly those perpetrated by Harvey Weinstein.
Find out more about SAG-AFTRA’s intimacy coordinator training accreditation here and more about Safe Place here.
